Long haul COVID syndrome and after-vaccine side effects are not one and the same. There are some differences (and similarities) between the conditions, and I need to state outright, that this is an individualized approach to treatment. One of the key similarities is that the spike protein of the virus is the exact manufactured outcome that is stimulated in the mRNA injections. This is imperative to remember: the immune cells are being asked to make more spike protein first. Then, in a couple of weeks, the hope was that the body made some antibodies to the manufactured spike protein. In my viewpoint “spike is spike.” Some patients made lots of this toxic spike after two injections, then may have even gotten boosters to keep making spike proteins.
Long haul is given this terminology is given to those who have suffered from a COVID-19 infection and just do not bounce back. Patients who have suffered with chronic illnesses, chronic fatigue, POTS, or any other energy-draining condition, this is no mystery. The body went into a full battle, used up much of its resources to keep the immune system fighting, and damaged cells along the way. This simplistic explanation is also attributed to CIRS (chronic inflammatory response syndrome). The body is slow to recover, tired, has poor exercise tolerance, mental fatigue and brain fog, pain, and shortness of breath that may be debilitating to the point where the patient cannot work.
Add on top of the injection, those same patients may have contracted COVID-19 itself and contracted even more spike protein. Clearly, that is too much spike for the immune system to handle without consequences. Not that long ago, we thought that the long-haul syndrome and the after-vaccine injuries were permanent, but there is hope that they can be reversed. It certainly will take an integrative approach. It takes an out-of-the-box style of repurposing medications as the research keeps unfolding.
After-vaccine injuries encompass many conditions and diagnoses that are too voluminous to list. There is a heavier emphasis on neurological and cardiovascular complications, but other systems are involved as well. The treatments must be catered to rid the body of spike burden while another team of physicians might be working on traditional approaches to stabilize the patient from their new diseases. I believe that some after-needle injuries are worse than others because of batch differences and amount of spike burden some people made versus others. Younger people had more robust responses to the mRNA signaling, but that did not exempt elderly patients from injury. Preservatives and fillers are not easily figured into the equation, but we can measure the damage created, and we can even measure spike constituent in monocytes (mostly for academic purposes). A whole other category of post-vax injury exists from reactivation of latent, smoldering infections. That is a topic for another day.
We are wise to these mechanisms, and that is why brilliant clinicians have several tools in the toolbox. Here are some approaches in use. I hesitate to give doses because that will be individualized. I usually will not bombard the system with too many strategies at once but keep very close eye on what is and is not working to modify as we go along.
Repurposed Medications for Long Haul Syndrome:
· Ivermectin: Take the politics out of the ivermectin discussion. This medication has benefits in every step of the COVID-19 battle. It takes a mid-range approach based upon weight. It is used daily until resolution of symptoms.
· LDN: Low-dose naltrexone is made from a compounding pharmacy. Its parent drug, naltrexone, is used as an anti-narcotic/opioid at 50 mg a day. LDN starts at 0.5 mg/day but gets titrated upward slowly. This has been used extremely successfully in autoimmune and pain conditions.
· Vascepa: is a prescriptive omega-3 EPA. We may use this or supplemental fish oils. This is particularly helpful for the brain fog component.
· Steroids: may not be used for everyone and will be considered depending upon the lung involvement and to rescue those who suffered from cytokine storm damage along the way.
· Fluvoxamine: is also known as Luvox and has been on the market for a very long time for OCD disorders and cautiously adds on as a second line if brain fog and mental health issues warrant its use.
· Atorvastatin: is the generic name for Lipitor. The use for this repurposed medication may be more appropriately used is the clotting discussion, and most people recognize this medication as a cholesterol lowering drug. I personally may hesitate on this one when the cellular energy and mitochondria are already suffering with low energy states.
· Hydroxychloroquine: is used by some in the long-haul state, but its forte is in the acute battle. In the chronic nature of COVID-19’s effects on the body, we ultimately would like the immune system to get rid of defective cells, and HCQ might hinder that process. It is mentioned here, however, since some patients are getting benefits with a burst of this in their treatment process.
· Antihistamines (H1-blockers): include these very common over-the-counter medications such as Claritin, Zyrtec, Allegra. As some people’s immune systems have been primed to stay in the innate battle and not move on to the adaptive approach, mast cells can remain activate for a long time. There is also the possibility that some patients have lots of spike protein persisting in the cells also triggering these cells to stay activated. We may use these meds at much higher doses than ever recommended for allergy relief.
· Antihistamines (H2-blockers): include such medications, also over the counter in the form of acid blockers such as Pepcid and Tagamet. As we repurpose these for the same reasons as above, the doses are much higher.
· Montelukast: also named Singulair will go after the mast cell activation portion of the long-haul symptoms. This is in a class all by itself and has been on the market for many years for allergy, eczema, and asthma sufferers.
· Androgen blockers: such as spironolactone and dutasteride have been on the market to block testosterone at the tissue level and prevented hair loss, helped with the prostate, or blocked excess androgens in women with PCOS. Men had a harder time with the lung involvement of COVID-19, and these were added on in the acute setting. They show promise in the chronic setting as well.
· **Maraviroc**: is a newer anti-viral that is being presented for these patients, but I am very hesitant to use this because of side effect profile, and the mechanism to use an anti-viral is early in the shedding and replication process, not after chronic damage to the cells has been done. I mention it because it is in the literature right now.
Repurposed Medications For After-Vax Injury:
· Many of the above-named medications may be used first line. There may be disease-specific treatments requiring medications that may not be mentioned below.
· Methylene blue: started out as a dye, then a malaria treatment, and blood disorder. It has now been repurposed in many other ways and now being researched for memory loss, and Lyme disease. There are precautions with this and certainly need to be under a physician’s care.
· Sildenafil: came out on the market as Viagra, then shortly for pulmonary hypertension. It helps to keep more nitric oxide to the tissue, which is imperative for good microcirculations. In this post-vaccine group, it also is helpful with brain fog.
· Oxytocin: is typically in the hands of a compounding pharmacist is used for the purpose of inducing labor or replacing losses as “the love hormone.” In after-vax it is used to restore smell and taste.
· Triple Therapy: This is the nickname of the 3 medications that are used for a month if micro clotting is suspected. To determine this is complicated, and the treatment is debated by experts. The three medications include Plavix, Eliquis, and Aspirin. This also may be the time where a statin drug gets added into the equation. This is hotly debated, yet something needs to be done to help with the clotting irregularities (my opinion imbedded again!).
· Ubrelvy: In the severe neurological disorders, this migraine medication is usually in the hands of a neurologist, but in the vaccine-injured this has given much relief in the recovery battle.
Supplements for long-haul COVID syndrome (this is not an exhaustive list):
· Vitamin D3: certainly, if this is low it needs to be repleted, but it is one of our best immune modulators to help get that exhausted immune system back on track.
· Omega-3 Oils: were alluded to in the Vascepa discussion. These oils not only modulate and quiet inflammation, but they serve as the backbone for neurons and brain tissue.
· Turmeric and Nigella Sativa: which is in the spice family has been a mainstay in the autoimmunity and pain/inflammation space as a potent anti-inflammatory and this is brought to the table with long-haul sufferers.
· Melatonin: is not just for sleep, although sleep is imperative for the immune system. Higher doses of melatonin were used in cytokine storm acutely because of its ability to help the lungs maintain inflammation and secretions. For a more chronic picture it also modulates the immune system and every cell in our body uses it as an antioxidant, so cells certainly can benefit from cellular health and energy.
· Vitamin C: surely had a role acutely, and for the chronic patient the nutrients help with the immune system and microbiome. Higher doses are NOT to be used long term. It can also serve as a histamine blocker.
· Quercetin: which is found in many vegetables also has supplements that we use to quiet the mast cells and repolarize them.
· Probiotics: must be individualized. Some patients need help with the gut microbiome, and some may have already started out with dysbiosis and bowel inflammation or SIBO that shouldn’t be aggravated.
· Resveratrol: found in the highest concentrations in grape skin has been considered one of the fountains of youth with cellular repair. In this case it helps with autophagy, which is the body’s ability to re-use parts from a damaged cell. Autophagy has been coined a cellular recycling system. Resveratrol, wheatgerm, and some mushrooms are good at this function.
· “Mitochondrial Food”: is the term I will use for some proprietary blends of PQQ, Mag, CoQ10, d-ribose and others that feed our mitochondria inside the cell to make them stronger. The mitochondrial breakdown is a major factor for the chronic fatigue and symptoms associated with long haul and after-vax injury.
Supplements For After-Vax Injury:
· The supplements as above are considered in addition to these particularly helpful in vaccine injured patients.
· Magnesium: is always mentioned because of the multiple jobs it has in the body at the cellular and synaptic level. Keep in mind that neurological and cardiovascular injury are the most devastating, and magnesium is crucial for that health. Dosing is quite variable, and it is difficult to get too much, but supervision is always recommended.
· N-acetyl cysteine (NAC): has been in our arsenal in the emergency rooms to treat Tylenol toxicity but revving up glutathione. Glutathione detoxes and breaks down medications and toxins, and no better time to use this system then when the body has been given a foreigner to process and eliminate.
· L-arginine/L-citrulline: are natural compounds that behave similarly to Viagra in nitric oxide production and improving circulation or helping with micro-clotting.
· Nattokinase/lumbrokinase/serrapeptase: for the suspected clotting risk, especially with high burden of vaccines (multiple boosters, etc.) these are quite potent even though they are natural. I use them often and know great suppliers that get great results.
I may use combinations of these medications and supplements, and certainly not all at one time. There are some energetic techniques for the brain and hyperbaric oxygen as well as movement and therapies, but this focus is on supplementation and medical approaches. I am surely willing to help anyone in need. The treatments may take awhile and need pacing, but hope for full recovery is now possible.
